Degrassi: Nowhere to Run
by eclarefanxxx
Summary: This is what I think will happen in the Halloween special, Degrassi: Nowhere to Run. Please leave a review!
1. Chapter 1

DEGRASSI: NOWHERE TO RUN

Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi.

Halloween night was approaching, and the students of Degrassi Community School couldn't have been more thrilled. Clare Edwards and Jake Martin had organized a secret getaway at their family's cabin for all of their friends and themselves. Clare's mother and Jake's father were off on their honeymoon, and the students decided to take a trip up to the cabin. What harm would there be in a simple, fun trip to the lake? The shore was beautiful with a complete view of the forest outlining the lake, and if you got lucky and there was a full moon, you could see the moon's reflection on the lake. That sounds like the perfect vacation, right? If only these young students knew what they were getting themselves into…

Friday: Halloween, 3:00 PM. Jake and Clare's house.

"Okay, is everyone here? I'm going to take attendance and make sure!" Clare Edwards shouted, watching as her friends lined up along the cars parked by her driveway. It was right after school on Halloween, and her friends came to her house directly after school so they could head off to the cabin right away. The cabin was about two hours away, so they really needed to get going.

"Eli," Clare read off the list, smiling when Eli smirked and yelled that he was there.

She crossed his name off. "Alli," She called, earning a high five from her best friend, who was armed with two full suitcases by her side. Not that Alli was going to need them; she always tended to over-pack for trips, and they were only going to be gone for the weekend.

"Drew," She read, crossing his name off when he fist-pumped Eli, who he had bonded with after the shooting at prom. The two had actually become great friends, since Eli knew how it felt to believe an accident was your fault when it wasn't.

"Katie," She giggled and crossed Katie's name off when Katie hip bumped Marisol. After that, she crossed Marisol's name off.

"Jake," She already knew Jake was there, since he was busy packing everyone's things into the back of his truck.

"Last but not least, Bianca," Clare called, grinning and crossing off Bianca's name after Bianca chirped an, "I'm here!".

"Okay, Eli, Drew, and Katie will be riding in Jake's truck with Jake and me." Clare explained, herding the boys and Katie into the backseat of the truck. "Marisol and Alli, you're going to be riding with Bianca, who will follow us up to the cabin!" Folding up the sheet of names, Clare tucked it into her shorts pocket and climbed into the passenger seat of the truck after Bianca and Marisol piled into Bianca's black Mercedes.

Jake pulled out of the driveway, and Bianca followed him. Turning on the truck's radio, Clare turned around in her seat and grinned at everyone. "So, who's ready for a weekend on the lake?"

Katie looked rather tired, leaning on Drew's shoulder while Drew and Eli high fived and yelled, "Hell yeah!" Drew noticed her sleepy head on his shoulder and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Sorry, Katie," He murmured to her, twisting her red-brown ponytail around his finger gently.

She smiled weakly. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. My sister Maya kept complaining about how lost she is around Degrassi."

Clare laughed. "I felt that way when I was a Niner, too."

Jake's eyes were focused on the road, and she touched his shoulder lightly. "Hey, are you okay?" Clare asked.

He glanced over at her briefly; they were almost on the main exit now. "I'm fine," He answered sternly, turning down the music a little.

Eli and Drew talked most of the way there, but eventually everyone grew tired after the first hour of driving and fell asleep. Katie was sound asleep against the window, and Eli was propped up against the other window. Drew's head was nestled in Katie's shoulder, snoring lightly.

"Finally, they're asleep. I thought they'd never shut up." Jake joked, turning onto the main road which would lead them to their cabin in about a half hour.

"I know. Anyway, how big is the cabin?" Clare wondered, looking back out the window.

"It's pretty big, actually. There's two floors, and there are 4 bedrooms, so it's not bad. Two people will have to sleep in each room, but I think it's only fair to let them decide who they're sharing with." Jake replied, driving down the winding path to their cabin. Bianca's car was following closely behind, her headlights flashing in the foggy evening.

The cabin came into view about 10 minutes later, and Clare couldn't believe her eyes. The cabin was a basic wooden cabin, but the lake was completely private, and there were no other residences anywhere nearby. The water sparkled, showing the reflections of the trees that surrounded it. The moon shone faintly in the sky, a half moon. The stars sprinkled across the sky, and fog swirled around the rocky edge of the water.

Jake parked the truck to the side of the house, where Bianca pulled up next to him. In the passenger seat, Marisol was fast asleep, as was Alli in the backseat.

Clare climbed out of the truck in awe of the beauty surrounding her. "Eli, Drew, Katie, wake up! We're here!" She exclaimed, knocking on the backseat window. Eli's eyes flew open, and he lightly tapped Drew and Katie's shoulders, waking them up.

Katie lightly stepped out of the truck, wearing a light pink jacket with dark jeans. "Wow, it's really pretty here,"

Bianca hopped out of her car after yanking Alli and Marisol out. "Nice place you got here, guys,"

Jake lead the way up the wooden steps to the cabin's front door and the others followed. He unlocked the door, and it creaked open, revealing a cozy little kitchen and living room. Everyone stepped inside, lugging suitcases behind them.

Clare stood in front of the group after Jake switched the lights on. "Okay, everyone, go pick your rooms. There are 4 rooms in this cabin, and 8 of us. That means everyone will have to share a room with someone else."

Eli looked around awkwardly. The only person he really knew here was Drew, and he was pretty sure Drew would want to stay with his girlfriend, not that he was too keen on sharing a room with a guy anyway. Everyone raced off to find their rooms.

Marisol and Bianca darted up the stairs to claim their bedroom while Clare and Alli followed closely behind. Drew and Katie dashed to the cabin's downstairs, eager to find a room to share. Eli and Jake stood there awkwardly for a second, realizing they were the only ones left. Finally, they shrugged and headed downstairs after Drew and Katie.

Eli tentatively followed Jake into the room they would be sharing for the weekend. The room had a small window with a view of the lake and the starry sky. Eli saw the jacuzzi from the window and smiled. It was really nice of Jake and Clare to invite him along; he certainly hadn't expected it from the way he had acted towards them that year.

Jake started unpacking his clothes and shoving them into one of the bedside dressers. "You can unpack if you want, Eli." He laughed at Eli's cautious stance.

Eli nervously chuckled. "Okay," He went to work at placing his clothes into the other dresser, sneaking nervous glances at Jake.

Jake turned around. "Okay, man, listen. I know we've had our differences, but I judged you without even knowing you. You apologized, and you're an alright guy, Eli. I don't have a problem with you, so chill out, man."

"Well, I feel bad for how I acted during the year. I feel like there's nothing I can do to make up for it." Eli said sadly, placing the remainder of his clothing into the dresser.

Jake sighed and scooted closer to Eli after slamming his dresser drawer shut. "Look, dude, it's over now. You can make up for it by forgetting about it and having a fun time this weekend, okay? No moping around."

Eli nodded in agreement. "Deal," He laughed, and Jake patted his shoulder before getting up and heading towards the door.

"You coming, man? I'm going to need some assistance in grilling up some burgers and uncovering the jacuzzi." Jake asked, staring at Eli with an expectant expression.

"How could I say no?" Eli stood up and followed Jake out the door to the back patio, where he began grilling burgers while Jake set up the Jacuzzi.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Clare and Alli gossiped with excitement while unpacking their things.

"Clare, do you think Jake likes me? I mean, he seemed pretty into me that time we met at your house!" Alli squealed, jamming her armful of bras and panties into the dresser she and Clare were sharing in their spacious bedroom.

Clare turned towards Alli after setting her lotion and hairbrush on the white oak dresser. "First of all, if you keep putting clothes in this thing, there won't be any room for my stuff." Alli stuck out her bottom lip in a playful pout, and Clare giggled. "Second of all, you met Jake for, like, 2 seconds at my house. But yeah, he seemed kind of into you." Clare finished, packing her outfits in the opposite drawer of Alli's.

Alli rolled her eyes. "Well, he's totally hot. I totally want him." Clare shot Alli a look; she wasn't entirely over her break up with Jake, it had only been a few weeks. "But I would never go out with him without your permission, Clare Bear. I know how hard the breakup was on you." She finished, pushing her drawer, which was filled to the brim with clothing, shut with great difficulty.

Clare smiled. "Thank you, Alli. It means a lot to me how considerate you're being about it. I just need a little more time,"

Alli hugged her best friend tightly. "Take all the time you need," Clare hugged her back and then retreated out of her hug when she heard Eli's voice yell, "Dinner's ready!" up the stairs. Alli frowned. "What's wrong, Clare?"

Clare shrugged, and Alli gasped. "Wait a second," Alli whispered suspiciously. "You still have feelings for Eli, don't you?"

Clare blushed furiously, taking another step back from her friend. "Kind of," Alli's jaw dropped, and Clare quickly defended herself. "Look, he's so sweet, okay? That night at the hospital when we were with Adam… I saw another side of him; the side I like. I'm just not ready for a relationship yet."

Alli jumped up and down. "I know he still loves you; it's so obvious, Clare!"

Clare laughed. "How? I broke his heart. I don't see how he can ever fully trust me again."

Alli pulled Clare into a hug. "Listen, Clare, you were just trying to do the right thing. I can just tell by the way he looks at you that he still loves you."

Clare pulled out of the hug and smiled weakly. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see how this weekend goes, right?"

Alli nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, sister," She flashed Clare a grin, grabbed her hand, and dragged her downstairs shouting, "We're coming!"

Marisol and Bianca finished packing their things in the room they shared which was right next door to Clare and Alli's.

Marisol shivered. "It's so freaking cold up here,"

Bianca shoved her arms through her oversize blue sweatshirt her aunt had given her. "Tell me about it," She murmured, running her hands through her volumous black hair.

Marisol's stomach grumbled. "I'm starving! I think I heard Eli call us down for dinner. We should go." She turned for the door, but Bianca lightly grasped her wrist before she could leave. "What is it?"

Bianca sighed heavily. "Marisol, I know you don't know me very well, and I'm sure you've heard the rumors about me. I just want to ask you to just please give me a chance before you judge me."

Marisol frowned. "Why would I judge you? You risked yourself to save my best friend's boyfriend's life."

Bianca smiled sadly, recalling the awful memories Vince had brought upon her. "Thank you. I haven't had a real friend in a while, you know. Maybe we could be friends."

Marisol laughed. "Of course we can, silly! Now, let's go get something to eat!" She softly grasped Bianca's arm, which was still slightly bruised under the bandages from Vince's harsh abuse.

Katie and Drew were already seated at the table on the back patio, along with Alli. Clare, Jake, and Eli were busy placing plates of food and drinks at everyone's place. Bianca and Marisol slid into two seats next to each other, offering to help, but only earning the refusal from Eli.

Finally, everyone sat down. "Is it alright with everyone if we say grace just for tonight?" Clare asked shyly, biting her lip.

Everyone nodded. It only made sense to thank the lord for protecting them on the night of prom. They certainly were lucky no one died that night, and that Adam was safe at home, healing from his gunshot wound. More importantly, as the teenagers joined hands, they realized they were all just lucky to simply have each other.

Clare quickly chimed in once everyone was holding hands. "Lord, thank you for everything you've given us. Thank you for protecting us in our times of need, and for giving us the gift of friendship and forgiveness."

"Amen," Everyone said in unison, and then they immediately began filling their plates with Clare's homemade pasta salad, Jake and Eli's hamburgers, and the salad Alli had made.

When they were done eating, Clare and Eli both jumped up and grabbed everyone's plates, bringing them to the sink. Everyone but Bianca helped; Bianca offered, but everyone agreed she was still slightly injured from Vince, so they told her it was fine. Bianca sighed and headed out to sit by the lake.

After the dishes were done, it was about 8:00. Jake and Alli went into the woods, explaining they were going to get the fire started. Marisol went outside to go talk to Bianca, who was obviously upset that no one would let her help.

"Crap! Drew, I'll be right back. I need to grab a sweatshirt before we all go out to the campfire." Katie exclaimed, quickly kissing his cheek and dashing down the wooden steps.

Drew blushed and smiled in joy, his smile only faltering when he saw Eli and Clare standing there, stifling laughter. "What? Is it so wrong that I'm completely in love with my girlfriend?" He defended.

Eli smirked at his friend. "Absolutely not, my friend. On the contrary, it's quite a good thing to love someone as much as you love her, though it can hurt you sometimes." He said the last part quietly, earning an awkward glance from a blushing Clare.

Drew patted Eli on the back. "I'm going to go change my clothes; these shorts are kind of uncomfortable. I'll see you guys out there," With that, he walked back downstairs, leaving Eli and Clare alone.

Eli cleared his throat. "Should we, um, go help Jake and Alli with the fire?"

Clare rolled her eyes. "I think they can handle it,"

"Well, what do you want to do until it's time for the campfire? We could dry the dishes, or-"

"I'm done playing games, Eli." Clare cut him off, crossing her arms over her chest sternly. She realized what she just said in embarrassment, turning to pick an imaginary piece of lint off her bright pink sweater.

Eli's cheeks reddened slightly. "Sorry?"

Clare sighed heavily, placing her hands on her hips. "I know things between us got…complicated, to say the least. But I want to be with you," She blurted, blushing again.

Eli's heart skipped a beat; where was this coming from? Was this girl honestly telling him she'd give him another chance, despite all they'd been through? "Well, it'd be a lie if I said I didn't feel the same way."

Clare smiled a little. "I'm just not quite ready for another relationship. I want to be with you, but I don't want to take it too fast. I just want to get to know you again." She added sadly, gazing at him with love in her blue eyes.

Eli smiled a genuine smile this time. "I want to get to know you again too, Clare. We can take it slow."

"Thank you," Her eyes brightened up, creating the sparkle Eli always loved.

With that, Clare stepped forward and hugged him tightly around the waist. Eli gently wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on top of her head. Clare stepped back after a few minutes. "I should probably go see if Alli and Jake are alright. They've been out there for a while now…" She suddenly became alarmed; What if something had happened to them?

Eli nodded. "Yeah, you should go check on them." He slipped downstairs, and Clare was about to step outside until she found Bianca crying softly by the lake. She cocked her head in confusion before sliding out the sliding glass doors.

"Bianca?" She whispered, sitting down on the edge of the dock next to Bianca, her legs dangling off the edge.

Bianca lifted her eyes to meet Clare's. "Oh, hi Clare," She sniffled, wiping her nose on the back of her sweatshirt sleeve.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Bianca replied, staring out into the dark night.

Clare sighed. "You're crying; are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Bianca burst into tears again. "Look, Clare, it's hard to talk about how someone abused you for months on end and you could never tell anyone! I couldn't tell anyone! If I did, he would've killed me or someone else. And the second I get away from him, he shows up at our prom and shoots Adam! I'm such a mistake, and these goddamn bruises just won't fade!"

Clare pulled a now sobbing Bianca to her, hugging her silently. "God loves you," She whispered.

"How can you say that?" Bianca sobbed, "I'm such a whore! I slept with him, Clare! I slept with Vince. I stole Imogen's money to make it look like I sold her drugs when I didn't!"

Clare shook her head of curls, pressing her cheek to the top of Bianca's curls. "Bianca, you didn't want to do any of those things. You were afraid, and Vince is a horrible man to make you do such things. It's not you who's at fault here; it's him. It's him," She murmured, hugging Bianca tighter.

A while later, Bianca calmed down and sat up again. "Thank you, Clare. I honestly don't know why you're being so nice to me."

"It's because you're brave, Bianca. You were very brave to try and protect Drew by yourself. And by the way, those bruises will fade eventually. Until then, pretend they aren't even there." Clare smiled, standing up and offering Bianca a hand. "Come with me, okay? I was just on my way to check on Jake and Alli."

Bianca nodded, letting Clare pull her along the winding path along the lake into the woods with the flashlight guiding them.

"Oh, they've got the fire started!" Clare grinned, walking up to the fire, which was surrounded with logs for everyone to sit on. That is, until she saw who was sitting on it? She and Bianca stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the scene before them; Jake and Alli were kissing passionately on the log, wrapped up in each other.

Clare's throat began to close up. "Jake? Alli?" She choked out, eyes watering up in hurt.

Alli slowly pulled away from Jake, eyeing Clare with a guilty look. "Oh, hey Clare. Why don't you come join us? We were just about to get everyone to come and make s'mores."

Bianca's eyes widened. She had had her problems with Alli in the past, but she never knew how mean Alli could be. Alli had sent naked photos of Bianca to the entire school, but that was because Bianca had stolen Drew, Alli's boyfriend at the time. Why would she do something like this to Clare? She and Clare were best friends!

"Wow, Alli. What ever happened to 'I'd never go after him without your permission, Clare Bear!' ? You are so pathetic; I can't believe we were ever friends." With that, Clare grabbed Bianca's hand and stormed out of the woods.

Once they were in sight of the lake again, Clare started crying. Bianca did the comforting this time. "Clare, it's okay. You still have me, and you have Eli and all your other friends too. You don't need Alli."

"How can I not need her, Bianca? She's been my best friend for two years! We've been through so much together," Clare cried, storming into the cabin.

Bianca stood there dumbfounded. Wow. Drama, much? She hated this little Halloween detour already.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Clare stomped into the woods on the opposite side of the lake after she had witnessed Alli kissing Jake. Overcome by betrayal and hurt, she kept walking angrily until she found herself lost in the foggy forest. She had no idea where she was anymore. Murky fog swirled all around her and suddenly she heard twigs snapping somewhere nearby. Someone was there; she was not alone.

A dark silhouette appeared, stepping out of the fog towards Clare. Her body grew cold, and she couldn't move. The wind rustled slowly as the figure stepped closer to her. It was then she noticed that the figure had an axe in hand, and he was less than 5 feet away from her. Her body lost all feeling, but she forced herself to bolt towards the lake anyway. The figure ran behind her, chasing her straight back to the cabin. She tripped and cut her arm. On the way there, she smashed into another body and screamed bloody murder.

"Clare? God, you scared the _hell_ out of me!" Eli stumbled backwards, struggling to regain his balance.

Clare's hand flew to her mouth. "Eli, I'm sorry! There's something out there! We are going to die!" She began to panic, frantically searching for the person in the woods.

Eli softly reached out and grasped Clare's arm, pulling her towards him. "Clare, there's nothing out there."

"Yes, there is! H-he had an axe, and he was stepping towards me. It was dark, and I thought for sure I was going to die. I don't want to die tonight, Eli." She whimpered in a panic.

Eli spun her around and brought her into a tight hug. She melted in his embrace and began hysterically sobbing into his chest. "Shh, you're alright now. Calm down; I'm here." He whispered, kissing her forehead and bringing her closer.

She sobbed viciously. "He was there!"

Eli squeezed his green eyes shut and rested his cheek on top of her curly hair. "Come on, honey. Let's get you inside."

Clare allowed Eli to gently lead her inside the cabin out of the cold night. Once they stepped inside, everyone was gathered in the living room. A fire was roaring in the fireplace, and the smell of vanilla scented candles wafted in the air.

Jake stood in front of everyone, and they all turned to see a frightened looking Clare and Eli standing in the doorway.

Bianca wordlessly scooted over to make room for Clare and Eli. Eli sat down while Clare stood there, looking disoriented. He brought her down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist and allowing her head to fall onto his shoulder. She entwined her fingers with both of his and snuggled close to him.

"Okay, guys, we're glad you're here." Jake started nervously, looking at everyone who was sitting on the couch before him. "We're all here because Bianca and Marisol have informed me that Alli is missing."

Clare replied meekly, "You were just with her."

Jake locked eyes with Clare apologetically. "Clare, I'm sorry. Alli ran off crying her eyes out after you stomped away, and I haven't seen her since. She seemed really upset that you were mad at her."

Clare's eyes watered up again, and Eli hugged her tighter. Clare squeezed his hands. "Yeah, I bet she feels really bad about sucking face with you when she told me she wouldn't."

Jake sighed, scratching the back of his head in annoyance. "That doesn't matter; the only thing that matters right now is that we find Alli."

Katie, who was perched on Drew's lap, sat up a little more. "Did you guys hear that?"

Drew softly stroked her honey blond hair. "What is it, Katie?"

Marisol stiffened. "I-I heard it to. I sounded like a…scream."

Suddenly, an ear piercing scream erupted from the woods, and everyone jumped, startled. "That must be Alli!" Clare cried, struggling to sit up from Eli's arms. He let her hop off his lap and stared at her with wide green eyes. The screaming continued, and Clare rushed toward the door. Eli jumped up and tried to stop her, no way was he going to let his baby get out of his sight again. "Clare! You can't go out there! You could get hurt!"

Eli's arms wrapped around her, not allowing her to leave and pulling her back. "Eli, let go! She's my best friend! That man from the woods probably got her!"

Eli tugged her towards him, refusing to lose her. Clare continued to struggle against him until her worry got the best of her. She began to cry, sinking to the floor in terror. Her best friend was probably going to die, and her last words to her had been "I can't believe we were ever friends." Eli picked her up off the floor and brought her towards the couch. He brought her back onto his lap and whispered to her comfortingly as she clutched his gray shirt in her hands and cried into his shoulder.

Suddenly, Jake leapt off the couch after he heard a loud bang on the door. He grabbed a baseball bat and slowly approached the door. He opened it a crack and what he saw before him was a dark towering figure. Everyone screamed as Jake swung the bat and smashed the figure in the head, knocking it out.

What Jake saw next, he couldn't believe. Alli Bhandari's body lay in a mangled heap on the ground, covering in blood and chopped in various places.

Jake gasped and shut the door, walking back over to his friends.

"You guys? Alli's dead; we're going to have to fight for survival now. There's a murderer in the woods."

Clare shrieked and sobbed hysterically into Eli's shoulder. He brought her as close as possible to him, tightening his arms around her waist and kissing her shoulder. "Oh, Clare, I'm so sorry," He whispered over her piercing cries.

Wordlessly, everyone came to gather around Clare and stroked her arms and hair, murmuring condolences and apologies as tears streamed down their faces as well.

Bianca laid her head on Marisol's shoulder, feeling terrible. The girl whom she had fought with was dead; she would feel forever guilty of stealing Drew from her.

Jake swallowed the lump that was in his throat, allowing a few tears to leak out of his eyes. Katie cried into Drew's shoulder, and Drew cried on Katie as well. Everyone huddled close together, feeling terrible for the loss of their friend Alli.

Eli kissed Clare's head over and over; draping a blanket over her shoulders and just letting her cry her eyes out in him. Clare had lost her best friend in the entire world, and she never got to say goodbye. They had parted on a bad note, and she would be forever anguished over Alli's departure. Eli knew how close Clare and Alli had been, and he wanted nothing more than to make her feel better, but he knew there was no comforting to be done when someone lost someone so special to them; he of all people knew that.

"A-Alli's gone," Clare cried, burying her face in Eli's shoulder not unlike the day she had run out of Friendship Club in tears during her parent's divorce.

After an hour of crying helplessly, Clare and the other stiffened when they heard a vicious bang on the cabin door.

Then, the light went out, and no one could see a thing.

Clare and Katie gasped, clinging onto their boyfriends. Jake lit a few candles to help lighten up the room, and the girls instantly felt better. Jake knew the figure was outside, and he couldn't imagine what would happen if it were to wake up and get inside.

"Okay, everyone, I knocked out the guy with the bat. I'm going to need your best efforts in survival here, people." Jake turned to the group, his shadows flicking off the walls. "Eli and Clare, I want you to hide in the downstairs bedroom with Katie and Drew. Marisol and Bianca, you're coming with me. Let's move it people!"

Clare couldn't move, so Eli picked her up and cradled her in his arms, heading down the stairs with Katie and Drew. Once they got downstairs, they walked into the cold room that Katie and drew were sharing.

"It's freezing in here," Katie whispered, feeling much better when Drew caringly hugged her to his warm body.

Eli sat on the rocking chair in the corner of the room with Clare in his arms, who shivered and shook in his arms. He wrapped the blanket around her more securely, and he kept his phone nearby should Jake call with further instructions. For now, they just had to wait. Katie lay cuddled up to Drew on the bed, warming up under the covers.

Clare whimpered, and Eli tucked her in further to his shoulder. "Shh," He whispered softly, kissing her nose. He rocked back and forth slowly, pushing the chair with his foot. Eventually, a very traumatized Clare fell asleep on Eli, and he didn't let her go once.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3…

"Damn, I'm freezing!" Marisol whispered, teeth chattering as she rubbed her arms up and down in her sweatshirt.

"We get it, Marisol. Everyone's cold." Jake spat, sitting on the floor across from Bianca and Marisol in the huge walk-in closet in Clare and Alli's bedroom.

Bianca shifted her weight. "God, Jake, chill out. You don't need to be so freaking rude to her."

"I apologize for trying to stay calm and survive here!" He replied sardonically. "But my girlfriend was just _killed_. I think I deserve _some _credit."

Bianca scoffed. "Last I checked, she wasn't your girlfriend. Swapping spit in the woods doesn't exactly count as a serious relationship."

Marisol intervened then. "Can you guys, like, shut up for two seconds? There's a psycho murderer out there, and we might be next!" Jake and Bianca grumbled their agreements. "Jake, text Eli and make sure they're all okay downstairs. I need to know how Katie is, and I'm sure you're worried about Clare."

Jake dug out his phone and texted Eli. About 30 seconds later, Eli responded with, "Yes, everyone's okay. Katie and Drew are asleep. Clare is a bit shaken, but I've got her." Jake quickly responded to the message. "Wake them up. The killer could be anywhere, and we need to have our guards up."

About a minute later, Eli answered: "Just woke up Katie and Drew. Now what do we do?"

Jake contemplated his next message as he watched Marisol and Bianca huddle under a blanket together. "Keep your ears open for any suspicious noises. If you hear ANYTHING, text me. I'm going to try and call the police, but right now I can't get any service."

Eli immediately replied with, "Will do. Good luck, man."

"You too, Eli." Jake replied, snapping his phone shut and turning his attention to the others. "What time is it, Marisol?"

Marisol shakily lifted her arm and examined her watch. "11:00," she answered, moving closer to Bianca.

Bianca sniffled. "Guys, I just want to let you know that if we don't make it through this, thank you for including me and being my friends after everything that's happened. I caused our friend to get…shot. I've made so many mistakes, and I'm sorry for all of them. I wish I could just go back and change it all,"

Marisol hugged her tightly. "No one is judging you. We know you've had a tough life. We understand, right, Jake?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah, Bianca, nobody is judging you. Besides, we're going to make it through this. I promise."

Bianca nodded and cried on Marisol, who held her tighter under the blankets. All three teens prayed for their survival until it turned 11:30 that night.

Meanwhile downstairs…

Eli looked down at Clare's face as she sobbed softly in his arms. "Hey," he whispered soothingly, caressing her cheek gently.

She whimpered. "What if we don't make it through this?"

"We will," Eli insisted for the second time that night, trying to reassure Clare even though he really had no idea what the outcome of tonight would be.

Katie and Drew sat side by side on the bed across from the rocking chair. Drew held Katie's hand and moved closer to her so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "Clare, I'm so sorry about Alli." Katie said sadly, averting her blue eyes from Drew's to Clare's.

"Thank you, Katie, but nothing anyone says will bring her back. I'll never get those screams out of my head," Clare's voice was thick with tears. Eli hugged her tighter so her chin rested on his shoulder.

Drew sighed heavily. "I never should have cheated on her with Bianca. Things should have ended on a better note with her. I'll never be able to live with myself. I hurt her so much," Katie patted him on the head gently. "Baby, it was a mistake. You didn't mean to hurt her; you made a stupid mistake. I'm sure Alli forgives you. That was a long time ago."

"I still hurt her, and she didn't deserve to die." Drew murmured into Katie's hair.

Eli gently pushed the rocking chair with his foot, adjusting the blanket over Clare so she would warm up quicker. "Clare, it's going to be okay. You're going to miss her, but it will be alright."

"How do you know, Eli? She was my best friend!" Clare cried, tears streaming down her face.

"I just know," He replied, his green eyes staring into hers as he held her tighter. "Can we try something?"

Clare nodded, knowing what he was thinking. With that, Eli gently inched forward and pressed his soft pink lips to hers. She closed her eyes and gripped onto him tightly, moving her lips with his. "I love you," she stated when they pulled apart. Eli sighed happily. "I love you, too,"

Drew and Katie smiled and kissed again. After they broke apart, Drew cleared his throat. "Guys, do you mind if I call Adam? In case I don't make it out of this, I want to talk to him."

"Sure," Eli handed his phone to Drew and they all sat in silence as Drew dialed Adam's number. "A-Adam?" He asked when his brother picked up. "Yeah, it's me, Drew. You know how we're on our camping trip? Well, I might not be coming home, dude. Alli was killed by some guy." He paused, letting his brother vent about the situation. "Look, Adam, I've got Katie, Clare, and Eli with me. So far everyone is fine. Just calm down, okay? We're hiding. Yes, I'll call you. Okay? I love you man, bye." He ended the call and cried into Katie's shoulder.

"I love you, Drew. It's going to be alright." Katie whispered.

Eli checked his watch as Clare sat on his lap, leaning in his embrace. "You guys, it's midnight." Just after he said that, crashing sounds rang out through the cabin.

"Shit! That must be the killer!" Clare said, beginning to cry. Eli tightened his grip on her and ushered everyone into the closet in the room.

In the closet, Eli and Drew held onto their girlfriends tightly, trying to calm their crying. Everyone was freaking out, huddled together tightly in the back of the closet. It was completely dark, and since Clare was extremely afraid of the dark, she hid her face into Eli's shoulder. Katie did the same to Drew, and both boys held the girls.

Upstairs…

Marisol, Bianca, and Jake jumped when they heard the crashing noises in the cabin. "What the hell was that?" Marisol whispered frantically, scrambling behind the bed further than before. Bianca followed, and Jake decided it was the smartest move to reciprocate the movements.

Jake texted Eli. "Stay close to everyone, okay? Hide in the closet or something. We're behind the bed upstairs."

Eli replied with, "We're all in the closet. Stay safe."

Bianca and Marisol squeezed into the corner of the bed and Jake let them have the most space.

Footsteps rang throughout the house. Hearts beat faster than drums. Sweat ran down everyone's faces. The girls cried while the three boys in the house tried to remain calm, shaking from their nerves.

The killer's footsteps echoed off of every wall, so loud that it was the only thing the teens could hear.

Jake sighed with relief when he heard the killer go downstairs, but quickly realized the others were down there. Marisol and Bianca gasped in fear. Jake dug out his phone and texted Eli again. "The killer is going downstairs! Stay completely still!"

Eli replied, "I can hear him. Clare and Katie just went out the secret backdoor of the cabin behind the closet. Drew and I are heading out now. We'll get you guys ASAP! STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"

Marisol and Bianca sighed with relief when they saw that Clare and Katie were safe. "Okay, hurry!"

Everything went quiet after that. The killer seemed to have vanished. Jake knew that wasn't true, so he opened the upstairs window and quickly climbed out. Once he landed on the ground, he looked up at the two girls. "You guys are going to have to jump! Hurry!"

Bianca quickly climbed down, and Marisol followed.

"Guys! Over here!" Drew waved the three teens over to where he, Eli, and Clare were, just at the edge of the main road.

Eli was carrying Clare, balancing her on his hip. They all quickly ran down the winding dirt road, heading to the nearest town, which was about 5 miles away.

The teens ran for their lives in the pitch black darkness, desperate to escape the killer's wrath.

Would they make it?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4…

The frightened teens had arrived at a local hotel about 5 miles away from the cabin. After escaping the cabin, the teens had frantically sprinted down the dirt road leading away from the cabin to the main road in a desperate attempt to escape the man that had killed Alli Bhandari.

Clare yawned slightly, growing very tired from the night's chaotic events. "Eli? Can we please lie down?"

Eli nuzzled her cheek with his nose. "Yeah, baby," he whispered once they had entered their private hotel room. He gently laid Clare under the covers of the bed and tucked her in. "Try to sleep, okay sweetie?"

Clare sniffled. "I don't think I can."

Eli turned around after he had taken his shirt off. Clare blushed. "Hey," he murmured, resting his forehead on hers. "I'll be here with you all night. We can talk for as long as you want, and I'm here to protect you. Nothing's going to happen."

Clare's breath hitched at their close proximity and smiled up at him weakly. "Thank you,"

Eli nodded, placing a light kiss on her lips. He straightened himself up and changed into a faded black Dead Hand shirt before turning to face her. "Do you need anything, Clare?"

She shook her head. "Please, will you just hold me?"

Eli nodded and crawled under the covers with her, turning the light off. He spooned up behind Clare, interlocking his arms around her stomach sweetly. She sighed peacefully for the first time that evening. By this time, it was almost 2AM, and Clare was beyond exhausted.

When he felt her tense, Eli tightened his arms around Clare. "Relax, Clare. I'm here. If you need anything, I'm right here, and I'll be watching over you all night. You're safe."

She relaxed into his warm embrace. "Okay," she eventually let the sleepiness overtake her and drifted off to sleep in Eli's arms.

Katie Matlin turned to her boyfriend Drew with a terrified expression. "What if that man finds us? We're done for!" she exclaimed, snuggling closer to Drew.

Drew pressed his lips against hers to silence her. "Katie, I'm right here. I am not going to let some psycho get to you. He'll have to get through me first."

Katie started crying. "That's just it, Drew! I don't want you to get hurt! A girl was _killed_ tonight. If that had been you, I don't know what I would do."

Drew swallowed a lump in his throat. "Katie, what do you mean?"

She turned to face him, her blue eyes widening in response. "Drew, you saved me from another bulimia relapse. Marisol was being such a bitch to me, and if you hadn't shown so much support, I doubt I would have been strong enough to say no to that part of myself."

Drew sighed, remembering his girlfriend's complicated past. "Katie, you saved me too. I was being a violent ass after Vince's gang beat me up; you showed me a different way besides violence. Hell, you practically saved my life after I made a complete ass out of myself at that wrestling match last year!"

Katie grimaced, remembering the angry, scary guy Drew had once been. "Well, we've saved each other. Thank you for everything, Drew." Her tears dried as she buried her face in his chest, feeling his arms protectively wrap around her in the darkness.

"Marisol! Can we _please _keep the lights on?" Bianca begged in the room between Katie's and Eli's.

"Look, we need to get some sleep! I can't sleep with the lights on!" Marisol exclaimed frustrated, punching her pillow.

Bianca yanked off her sweatshirt and slid under her covers. "Um, hello? Bhandari was _killed_ tonight, and anyone of us could be next! Have you forgotten the shit that had happened tonight?"

"Stop it. You're being so negative! None of us are going to die tonight! We're safe as of right now, so quit it and chill out!" Marisol growled, snapping off the light and stomping over to her bed.

Jake sat up in bed, frustrated. "Okay, you two are really pissing me off. Bianca, in order the sleep, we need the lights off. Marisol, stop being so insensitive and aggressive. Everyone is scared, so shut up, both of you!"

Both girls huffed indignantly and lay in bed, drifting off to a dreamless slumber.

Meanwhile, outside the hotel….

The man with the axe was waiting patiently in the woods, watching Clare sleeping peacefully with Eli spooned up behind her. He saw Katie curled into Drew's chest, and Marisol, Jake, and Bianca sleeping blankly. He smiled to himself. Perfect. He had these teenagers right where he wanted them, and they were going to die tonight.

Clare sat up in bed with tears streaming down her face. She coughed up a sob that was struggling to escape her chest. "Alli!" she shrieked, gripping her head in her hands to try and get her friend's screams out of her mind. They kept on echoing. "ALLI!"

Eli sat up alarmed. He noticed Clare sobbing in the darkness and immediately flipped the lamp on. "Shhhh, baby, its okay. Come here, sweetie, shhh." He cooed, picking Clare up and placing her in his lap.

Clare sobbed into his chest, feeling the surreal pounding in her head. The screams; the blood; the mangled body; the killer; the closet. The darkness. Her sobs came quicker after the other, and she choked on about three of them.

Eli rocked her back and forth, remembering what his mother had done for him after he had lost Julia. "Shhh, Clare, you're okay." He repeated in her ear, kissing her hair.

Once she finally managed to calm down, Eli took her into a warm embrace as he lay them both down under the thick blankets. "Clare," he soothed, running his hands up and down her arms.

"Eli, Alli's gone." She whispered emotionlessly, voice thick with tears.

"Oh, Clare, I know, I know." He hugged her tightly.

For the rest of the night, Clare lay painfully awake, recalling terrible memories even though Eli was murmuring sweet things in her ears all night long.

The man smiled vindictively, knowing exactly where the teens were. With that, he slowly entered the bottom entrance of the building by smashing open the door.

The teens were on the top floor. There was truly nowhere to run at this point.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5… Author's Note: This chapter has some graphic scenes in it. I apologize for the gore and blood.

Bianca shot up in bed as she heard footsteps coming up the steps. "Marisol, Jake!" she hissed in a panic.

Jake and Marisol groggily sat up in their beds. "What, Bianca?"

"I heard something." Bianca swallowed the anxious lump in her throat and broke out into a cold sweat.

Jake rolled his eyes. "You're just being paranoid, Bee."

Just then, someone knocked on the door. All three teens looked at each other worriedly. Jake stood up and tiptoed over to the door and slowly opened it. Clare and Eli dashed into the room in a panic, sprinting over to the couch on the far end of the room.

"What the hell, guys?" Bianca demanded angrily. "You scared the hell out of us!"

Clare shakily spoke. "B-B-Bianca, Katie and Drew are gone."

Eli shushed Clare and pulled his girlfriend onto his lap so she could cling onto him. "We were awake because Clare was having nightmares, and then we crashed for, like, an hour or so, and Katie and Drew were gone. I called and texted them both, and their phones are off."

Jake scratched his head with worry. "Well, that's strange. Where else could they be?"

Marisol rolled her eyes. "They probably got up and went some random place so they could make out all night long, thinking we wouldn't notice."

Clare lifted her head off from Eli's head, shaking. "M-Marisol, I don't think so."

Eli kissed her forehead gently before answering, "Listen, Clare thinks she heard noises coming from the basement of the hotel. We need to find them; they could be in trouble." Clare whimpered into his chest. "I just want to go home." Eli laid his head sweetly on top of hers, resting his warm cheek on her cinnamon curls. "Shh, you'll be home soon sweetie."

Jake hopped up, grabbing flashlights for everyone. "You guys, this is ridiculous. We're not going to let this loser scare us; he killed our friend, and he thinks he can get more of us." Everyone stared at the 17-year-old boy incredulously. "Well, this ends now. We're going to find this guy, and we're going to take him down, this Halloween night." With that, he distributed a flashlight to each pair of students.

Eli stood up. "Okay, everyone pair up with a partner that you trust."

Marisol immediately paired up with Bianca; Eli sat next to Clare, grabbing her hand; Jake stood in the center of the room, looking brave and strong.

Clare immediately grew concerned for her stepbrother. "You can't go by yourself, Jake! You could get killed!"

"Clare, if we travel in groups larger than 2 people, it'll be way easier for the killer to find us. I'm taking down this bastard. Go with Eli; he loves you and he will take care of you." Jake gave Clare a loving hug before parting and making his way towards the door. "I'm going to go downstairs first. I will text Eli when I see that the coast in clear, and then you guys can split up around the hotel. I have a feeling he's downstairs, and that's where I'm going. Be careful, everyone."

Clare sobbed lightly as he closed the door behind him and stepped out. "Eli, what if something happens to him?"

Eli kissed her lightly. "He'll be alright, Clare. We just have to stay quiet and wait for him to text us." With that, he let Clare lean into his embrace and hug him tightly to her.

Marisol and Bianca quietly whispered to each other in the dimly lit hotel room. Tension and anxiety surrounded the atmosphere around the four teens as they awaited their friend to text them back.

Suddenly, about 20 minutes later, Eli's phone vibrated. He whipped it out of his pocket and read the message out loud.

FROM: JAKE MARTIN.

ELI, I'M IN THE BASEMENT. THERE'S BLOOD ON THE FLOOR, AND KATIE AND DREW ARE STILL NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. I DON'T SEE THE KILLER, BUT I HEAR SOMETHING IN THE STORAGE ROOM. I'M WAITING FOR HIM TO COME OUT. YOU GUYS CAN SPLIT UP AND SEARCH NOW. MARISOL AND BIANCA ARE GOING TO SEARCH FOR KATIE, AND YOU AND CLARE ARE GOING TO SEARCH FOR DREW. I'LL HAN DLE THE BASTARD. HURRY!

Marisol covered her hand with her mouth in shock. "Oh my God," she was extremely worried for her friend, who might be dead right now.

Bianca stood up, grabbing Marisol by the hand to join her. "Come on, Marisol. We're going to go search for Katie." They grabbed their flashlight and headed into the hallway.

Eli and Clare were now left alone. "Well, do you want to go now? We have to find Drew, baby." He said softly.

Clare began crying. "Eli, I don't want to. What if something happens? I can't see another dead body tonight!"

"Come here," he cooed, cradling her body in his arms. "Listen to me, sweetheart. We are going to make it out of this; we just need to find Drew. Drew is our friend, Clare. He's Adam's brother; we owe it to Adam to bring his brother home, alive or dead."

Clare sighed shakily. "You're right," she concluded, allowing Eli to stand up off the couch and lead her into the dark hallway. He turned the flashlight on, and they slowly made their way down the stairs towards the first floor.

Meanwhile, in the storage room…

The door was locked. The killer paced back and forth in front of Drew and Katie, who were bound together, back-to-back, by rope. Duct tape was placed over their mouths, and Katie's plaid shirt was stained with blood. The killer had pierced her with his pocket knife when she screamed when he had grabbed her earlier. The wound wasn't deep, but it would definitely need stitches.

The couple leaned tiredly against each other, shaking under the duct tape. Tears streamed down Katie's face, and Drew wished more than anything that he could comfort her and hold her in his arms right now.

The killer laughed sickly, turning to the two seniors. "Do you know why you're here?" his menacing voice asked.

Their response was a shake of the head.

"You're here because I want your blood. I want each and every one of you stupid teenagers' blood. I want Marisol's blood; I want Eli's blood; I want Clare's blood; I want Jake's blood; I want _your_ blood, pretty boy; I _especially_ want _your_ blood, pretty girl." he laughed darkly as Katie shook in fright. "Sorry I had to stab you, pretty girl. I just can't have that little voice of yours screaming like that, surely you understand?"

Drew shook in anger and fright. He desperately tried to reach for his cell phone, which lay next to Katie's just out of their reach. Katie leaned against Drew's body, feeling the feel of her boyfriend behind her made her feel a little bit better.

"I bet you wish your dumb little friends were here, don't you?" the killer chuckled. "Well, if so, then the feeling's mutual. I can't wait to _slaughter_ you each, _one by one_."

Drew's cheek throbbed from where the killer had hit him with the crow bar earlier. He and Katie had wandered downstairs with their cell phones when they heard noises. He initially wanted to go by himself, but Katie insisted she go with him. Now, Katie had an inch deep stab wound while a blackening bruise and blood was spattered on his face.

Suddenly, the three people in the storage room all heard a noise coming from the downstairs. "Ah, I hear someone. Perfect; another victim!" The killer bolted out the door and shut it behind him, leaving Katie and Drew alone.

Jake screamed in pain as the man ran toward him, knocking him to the floor. He brought the knife to Jake's cheek and slit it open. Jake desperately tried to fight the heavy man off of him, but the killer stayed strong and dragged a badly bleeding Jake into the room.

"You're not going anywhere." The killer slapped a piece of duct tape over Jake's mouth and tied him down to the chair in the far corner. He punched Jake in the face, causing his nose to bleed. Jake's head lolled in pain, and he lay back, giving up. If only there was a way to warn Bianca, Marisol, Eli, and Clare.

Bianca and Marisol stumbled down the stairs with Eli and Clare trailing behind them.

The killer smiled viciously as everyone heard the quiet footsteps creaking down the stairs. He slipped out of the room and met the teens at the bottom of the staircase. Eli immediately put himself in front of the three girls, defending them. The killer dragged Eli down the stairs and stabbed the pocket knife that had struck Katie into Eli's arm. Eli screeched in pain, wishing desperately that someone would come and help. The killer quickly clamped duct tape over Eli's mouth and kept him under one arm as he sliced open Bianca's arm and Marisol's chin. Blood dribbled all over the floor as the teens were hauled into the storage closet. Bianca and Marisol were tied back-to-back next to Katie and Drew. Eli was thrown and tied down next to Jake, who was almost passed out from the pain.

Clare was still outside the closet, desperately attempting to hide herself. She quickly dialed 911 and once the operator picked up, she slid her phone under the shelf so the killer wouldn't see it. Just then, she was yanked by the arm into the wall and punched in the face so hard that it knocked her out. The killer smiled and plunged the knife into her leg, dragging her like a rag doll into the closet. He tied the passed out Clare to Eli after duct taping her mouth shut.

Eli began emitting muffled screams under the duct tape. "Shut up, she's not dead." The man grinned before standing in front of them.

For the next ten minutes, the man continued to torture the teens. He brought a larger knife out of his pocket, about to finish them all off before police officers burst into the room. The teens felt extremely relieved when the man was dragged off in handcuffs and paramedics rushed into the room.

A team of 14 paramedics rushed to the teens, untying them and removing the duct tape from their mouths. Everything after that was a blur.

An oxygen mask was placed over everyone's face, and they were lifted onto a stretcher and quickly carried upstairs into the ambulances.

Eli opened his eyes while in the ambulance, looking for Clare. "Where's Clare?" he whispered in a panic, trying to sit up as the paramedic pushed him back down. "CLARE!"

"Take it easy, buddy." The man quickly injected Eli with a needle, sedating him. The next thing Eli knew, fuzzy darkness overtook him.

The fear slowly ebbed away from each other the teens' minds. They were being cared for, and they knew they were going to be alright.


End file.
